There are so many different areas of fitness that salsa dancing can help improve we could do a whole blog on just that. However, a few health benefits are that it can help reduce excess body weight, increase muscle tone, and help with cardiovascular endurance. Students also notice an improvement in their balance, body awareness, memory, and coordination. Dancing requires you to be moving your feet in one motion, while your arms, hands, and head are doing something different.

2) SOCIAL

Since salsa is a partner dance it is almost impossible to come to class or go out to a salsa event and keep to yourself! In our classes we often rotate partners, so you get to meet new people, and build new friendships that can last years if not decades. It is also not uncommon for people to meet romantic partners within the salsa community (but more on that in a later blog!).

3) CULTURE

Living in Hamilton we are so fortunate to have all sorts of different ethnicities and cultural groups in our city. Salsa happens to be one of them! Once you become hooked on the dance, everything else seems to snowball, the music is infectious, the language (well, you what to know what you're signing along to!), and latin food is simply incredible! You can spend a night out dancing, thinking you're in Cuba, Mexico, or the Dominican Republic, and forget that outside its snowing and -15.

4) FUN

How can you not have a blast dancing! It doesn't matter if you have been dancing 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 years, or 2 decades, the dance floor is full of all levels, and everyone dances with each other. There is nothing more heartwarming than walking into a salsa club and seeing everyone smiling, laughing and having a great time (regardless of dancing ability). Besides! Our lives can be so demanding and stressful who wouldn't want to have a place where they can go and forget all about work, bills, or outside drama. That freedom and joy is what the dance floor brings people every week - and could be just what the doctor ordered!

5) PERSONAL REASON

We all tend to come to dance for one reason, and after a while, we realize the true reason why we really ended up dancing. This is normally a personal reason, such as trying to get over a painful breakup, needing an escape from stress at work, wanting to be able to be confident again interacting with the opposite sex, battling depression etc. Usually at the root, people come to dance seeking some form of joy or connection, and they stay thanks to all the wonderful people they meet!